Syracuse edges Hobart for second straight win

The Orange squeaked out a one-goal win after Hobart’s huge second-half surge.

WHAT HAPPENED: Syracuse came out strong with the Kraus-Simmons Trophy up for grabs. The Orange started the game on a 4-0 run that lasted over half of the first quarter. The second quarter featured a 3-0 run that brought Syracuse into halftime with a 10-4 lead. The tables were turned in the third quarter as Hobart scored 5 goals to bring the deficit to 2. The Statesmen came within 1 in the fourth quarter but the Orange held on late to win 13-12.

WHAT IT MEANS: Coach Desko said after the Rutgers game that when Hobart and Syracuse play, it is always a battle, regardless of records. He was right, but he probably shouldn’t have been. The Orange can’t seem to put together a solid 60 minutes of lacrosse. Had the team buckled down in the second half, the game wouldn’t have been close. But Syracuse made a lot of mistakes and Hobart capitalized. That, combined with Hobart’s talent at the X, gave the Statesmen a fighting chance in a game that the Orange should have put away easily.

STAR GAZING: Derek Maltz scored 6 goals against Hobart. No Orange player has scored 6 goals in a game since 2008. Maltz is making the surge Syracuse needs him to at this point in the season. He is a focal point of offensive production. The Hobart goalie, Peter Zonino, made 18 saves and was incredible late in the game when the Statesmen were making a run. Another key in Hobart’s success was face off man Bobby Dattilo. He picked up 9 ground balls and 18-of-28 face offs.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Orange return home to play Georgetown at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, April 21 at 3 p.m. TV: ESPNU.